This Time (we'll do it right)
by K.R. Saks
Summary: The Void had taken Syaoran's memories of Sakura. Ten years later, they meet again. He doesn't remember her, but she makes his heart flutter, makes his speech stutter, and makes him wonder whether she's the missing piece in his life. This is the story of their rekindled love, told in three parts.
1. Reunion

**This Time (we'll do it right)**

 _Part I. Reunion_

* * *

Li Syaoran surveyed the nondescript gray building with a sense of impending doom. He turned to glare at the man next to him, but for all the good it did, it was as if he wasn't there at all. The man, with his dark-rimmed glasses and expensive Burberry jacket, merely tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat, took in a deep breath of the crisp autumn air, and smiled.

"Great day, isn't it?"

"I can't believe you're making me do this, Hiiragizawa."

Eriol glanced at Syaoran out of the corner of his eyes. "It's called debuting you to the world, Syaoran," he said, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "It's about time you became a man."

"Excuse me?" Syaoran growled.

Eriol gave him a rough shove that sent him tripping over the first of the stone steps that led to the campus café. He let out a muffled curse and barely managed to right himself before Eriol was guiding him along with a hand on his back, insistently pushing him towards a destination he did not want to be at.

"You're 21 already," he said, as if that explained everything. "It's high time you started dating again."

Syaoran scowled. "I dated plenty back in Hong Kong."

"No, you went on dates with women your clan set you up with."

"And this is different… _how?_ "

Eriol's grin widened. "Because _I'm_ the one setting you up this time."

Syaoran glared and decided he had finally had enough of Eriol's meddling. He threw the man's arm off with a vicious shrug that sent him stumbling back a few steps from sheer surprise. Syaoran straightened out his shirt with a triumphant yank and hefted his backpack.

"Fuck off, Hiiragizawa. I don't remember asking for a matchmaker."

"You wouldn't know to ask even if you desperately needed one. And trust me, you desperately need one."

"One more word and I will _end_ you," he threatened. But for all the good his words did, they only appeared to amuse Eriol further because he merely lifted his shoulders in a good-natured shrug and swept his hand towards the double doors of the café.

"Say what you will, but even you're not cruel enough to stand a woman up."

"If you think for a second that I'm going to-"

"You told me you felt lost, Syaoran." And just like that, the laughter drained from Eriol's voice. His blue eyes narrowed slightly and he stepped forward until he was just a hand's-width away. "You may have been drunk off your ass that night, but I know you weren't lying."

Their eyes met, a small short battle of willpower, and Syaoran was forced to look away, uncomfortable as he was with the scrutiny and just how _knowing_ Eriol could be sometimes. He normally prided himself on his stoicness, but that night had been what he—semi-dramatically—considered the lowest point of his life, and in his drunken stupor, he had somehow decided it was a good idea to call the then-visiting Eriol up.

He still thought it was one of the dumbest decisions he had made in a very long time, but unfortunately, he couldn't change the past, and he was now resigned to having Eriol lord that night over him.

Eriol, to his credit, seemed to sense that Syaoran wasn't particularly interested in reliving that night because he suddenly grinned and slammed his fist into Syaoran's arm, successfully jolting him out of his thoughts.

"Stop dallying, pansy. Go say hi. If anything, it doesn't hurt to make a new friend." And then he skipped away, whistling a damnably cheery tune. It made Syaoran want to bash his head in with a stick.

Seeing no other way out of this, he looked up towards the tower with a resigned sigh and proceeded up the steps towards his doom. An angry person he may have been, but his upbringing would never allow him to keep a woman waiting.

"One more year," he muttered as the double doors slid open, and he was met with the smell of deliciously toasted bread and premade lunch options. He remembered being surprised by the similarities between the cafes at HKU and University of Tokyo, and realized that maybe home away from home wasn't that bad.

He had transferred to Todai for his final year so he could complete his Global Concentration requirement. That, and Li Corp had just acquired a new electronics company in Japan and wanted Syaoran to keep a watchful eye on the merger.

The transfer, much to his resignation, had put him in the same school as Eriol once again. So now here he was, going on a blind date that Eriol had set up for him because he apparently needed to "get out more." He wasn't even sure what that meant.

Still, there was something about Japan that made him feel a little jittery, a little unhappy, and a little… nervous?He didn't understand why. He thought he had left everything behind ten years ago when he had been told that the Clow Cards—although no longer called that now, apparently—were in safe hands. Japan was meant to be a distant memory, but even he had to admit there was always a lingering feeling that there was something _more_ here. He just didn't know what it was.

He looked around the café for the woman who would supposedly be sitting next to the fresh bread display… and stopped in his tracks when he recognized her.

Long dark hair, violet eyes, always dressed to please even in the most unnecessary of situations…

"Daidouji?" he balked, and nearly dropped his backpack in his shock. "No, he wouldn't."

Tomoyo looked entirely too tickled by the situation, but to his relief, she shook her head emphatically. "Don't be silly, of course not," she reprimanded. "Although your expression was priceless."

"Ha, ha," he intoned, and slumped into one of the dark blue plastic chairs. "So what are you doing here? Being Hiiragizawa's faithful minion?"

"Helping a _friend_ out." She glared at him and crossed her arms, now looking very reproachful. "You really haven't changed a bit, have you? You've been here a week already and haven't felt the need to contact me? No 'oh hello Tomoyo, it's good to see you again?'"

Syaoran lifted a brow, but said obligingly, "Hello Tomoyo, it's good to see you again."

"That's better," she said, and then grinned. Her violet eyes brightened, casting a glow on her face that made her look like a little girl again. "Despite your less than enthusiastic greeting, I'm really happy you're back. It's been so long!" Just as she said this, her smile morphed into a look of serious discontent again. Her mood swings were giving him whiplash. "So were you ignoring us on purpose? Ten years and _nothing?_ No calls, no emails? Why did you have to make it so difficult to get in touch with you?"

"I was a busy man," he drawled. "Besides, did you really expect me to call? Come on, Daidouji. You know me."

Tomoyo let out a fluttery sigh. "I suppose. Still, an email once in a while wouldn't have hurt. Just so we'd know you weren't dead."

"I'm sure Hiiragizawa was keeping tabs on me." Syaoran checked his watch and barely suppressed a sigh. Whoever this blind date was, she was three minutes late and counting. "Who is this friend of yours, anyway? If she's not here in two minutes, I'm gone."

Tomoyo scowled and leaned forward with a stern "Patience is a virtue, Syaoran." He stared at her, unimpressed, and was surprised when her expression gradually softened. The way she was looking at him made him feel oddly exposed, as if she was searching for something in him. He didn't know what she was looking for, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. She rested a hand on his forearm and gave it a soft squeeze, giving him a view of her perfectly manicured nails.

He was amused. Some things never changed.

"How are you doing, Syaoran? Really. How does it feel to be back?"

He extracted his arm, not unkindly. "I'm fine, Daidouji. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, given what happened in the past with the Void and all, I just assumed-"

"The Void?" Now he was surprised. He hadn't heard that name in a very long time, ever since he had removed himself from any business related to the Cards. "That was years ago, and the Clan hasn't mentioned anything to me since about it reactivating. I'm assuming the Card Mistress has everything under control?"

Tomoyo smiled a little at the words "Card Mistress," but there also seemed to be such an inexplicable degree of sadness in the smile, as if there was something terribly wrong.

He was suddenly concerned. "What are you not telling me, Daidouji? Is the Void still under control?"

She sighed. "Oh Syaoran..."

It looked like she would've said more, but what seemed like a gale force suddenly blew in from the double doors of the café, cutting her off. Syaoran watched, momentarily stunned, as a figure hurtled herself towards their table, barely managing to screech to a stop before she crashed into the chair next to Tomoyo's. She was haphazardly holding what looked like a painting and her book bag, but the painting was wobbling in her hands, two seconds from falling over and knocking straight into the container of chopsticks on the table.

Syaoran instinctively caught the painting before any further damage could be done and grabbed her arm to steady her.

An electric shock pulsed through his fingers at their touch, and he hastily pulled away, startled.

The woman jumped at the contact, but she had already dipped her head in a hasty bow and was already turning towards Tomoyo in her frazzled state.

"I'm _so_ sorry," she was saying, her voice remarkably pleasant-sounding despite her less than glorious entrance. "I thought I had enough time so I was asking the professor for some advice regarding this painting, but apparently he hated it so much that he wouldn't stop picking on it, and then I tried to leave but he wouldn't let me until he was done lecturing. I'm _so sorry!_ "

Tomoyo just laughed and shook her head, reaching out to smooth the stray hairs flying everywhere, and Syaoran took the chance to look at the painting in his hands. The professor did honestly have a point. He really hoped this woman wasn't trying to pursue a career in art, because he was having some serious trouble figuring out what she had been trying to paint. All he could see was a hodgepodge of green, yellow, and orange, which led him to assume he was looking at a fruit bowl.

"It's very okay, Sakura, don't worry," Tomoyo said. "Here, I want to introduce you to someone."

The woman—Sakura—turned, all smiles, to face him… and then froze. Her green eyes—green, like the springtime—he thought curiously, widened till they resembled the dessert plates in the café, and then she was looking at him as if he were a ghost. But how was that possible? He had never met her before.

The woman was certainly pretty. Anyone with a decent pair of eyes could appreciate the long wavy caramel-colored hair, bright green eyes and innocent smile, but she wasn't anything extraordinary. He had seen prettier women on the dates his mother had sent him on back in Hong Kong. And yet there was something about her that made him look twice, something that made his heart flutter and stomach twist.

She, on the other hand, couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from him. Syaoran didn't particularly pay attention to his looks, but women had told him many a time that he was significantly better looking than average. Still, to have garnered such a response? It was… disarming.

He finally sighed. "Staring is a little rude, don't you think?"

"Syaoran!" Tomoyo admonished, but it was Sakura who spoke up next.

"S-Sorry," she stammered, and looked away. When she turned to face him again, she seemed to have gotten over her previous stupor. Her smile was wide, and it made her eyes shine. "I'm Kinomoto Sakura. It's a pleasure to meet you." And then she stuck out her hand.

Syaoran eyed her hand, which wobbled slightly, but when he grasped it, her palm was warm. "Li Syaoran."

He watched in confusion as she blushed, and then immediately retracted her hand as if he had burned her. Then she looked at Tomoyo, and a silent understanding seemed to pass between them because Tomoyo suddenly stood and pushed Sakura into her now-vacated seat.

"Well, it looks like my duty is done here," she announced, and gave Sakura what Syaoran assumed was a reassuring smile. But when she turned to him, that smile morphed into a firm look of warning. " _You._ Be nice, all right?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mother."

"If I hear you did anything to make Sakura uncomfortable, I will personally-"

"Daidouji," he said with exaggerated patience, "I hear you."

Tomoyo assessed him for an additional few seconds before she seemed appeased with the answer and flounced away, her dress swaying as she walked. When she was finally out of the café doors, Syaoran turned to assess Sakura, who was doing a very good job of looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

He could understand the sentiment.

"Look, I'm sorry you somehow got caught up in all this," he said. When she blinked, he gave her a crooked smile. "I'm not sure how you know Hiiragizawa, but he seems to think I'm in dire need of some _socializing_ with the fairer sex. So here I am."

Sakura let out a little bubble of laugher and then slapped a hand to her mouth, as if she hadn't meant to laugh. She flushed a dark red when she saw his gaze on her, but then their eyes met and she seemed to just... _stare._

Syaoran wasn't sure whether he ought to be amused, irritated, or perplexed, and ended up settling for a combination of all three. Some men probably found it flattering that a pretty woman was paying so much attention to them, but Syaoran had never been interested in playing this game. In fact, he had never truly been interested in any woman at all. There was always something in his heart that told him to wait. What he was waiting for, he wasn't sure.

This woman, whom Syaoran was truthfully more comfortable calling a girl given the youthful innocence that seemed to surround her, was looking at him as if she were viewing him through a looking glass… a specimen that she could see, but not touch.

It was definitely odd.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to redirect her attention. "You must be thirsty after running here. I'll get us some drinks. What would you like?"

That seemed to snap Sakura out of her stupor. "No, no, that's all right! Please, don't worry about me."

Syaoran pushed out of his chair. "Nonsense. I'll be right back."

True to his word, he returned in seven minutes with a cup of coffee and a strawberry smoothie. "I don't know what you like, but you seem like a strawberry kind of person," he explained, setting the smoothie in front of her. "If you don't like it, I can just…"

He trailed off then, and felt dread pooling in his stomach. There were _tears_ in her eyes now, tears that he couldn't hope to understand. It looked like she was trying so hard not to let them drop.

What on earth did he do?

Syaoran hurriedly looked around, as if their surroundings would help him with his dilemma. He usually hated it when women cried, because it was always so _messy_ and there was so much snot… not to mention there was almost _always_ an ulterior motive.

But with Sakura, it felt different. He couldn't explain why—maybe it was the way she tried so hard to cover up her tears, or maybe it was because he couldn't fathom how crying in front of a complete stranger would benefit her, but something deep in him stirred. And for the first time in a very long time, he wanted to comfort someone.

He just didn't know how.

"Err… I'm sorry," he said. He reached for her shoulder, but then thought better of it and retracted his hand. "What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

Sakura shook her head, sending waves of caramel-colored hair tumbling over her shoulder. She suddenly stood, head still bowed, and gathered her things, haphazardly shoving her phone and other miscellaneous items into her bag.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go," she cried. Without sparing Syaoran another glance, she darted away from the table, nearly bowling over three people in her haste to leave.

Syaoran stared at her retreating figure, feeling much too bewildered to even comprehend what had just happened. As much as he despised going on dates, he had never caused someone to run out on him within the first ten minutes.

He glanced down at the untouched smoothie across the table, and then his eyes trailed to the horrifying specimen of a painting that sat to the side. Unbidden, a surge of irritation swept through him, and he had to fight the urge to throw something. If the woman was so hell bent on running, why had she left her stupid painting behind? It wasn't as if _he_ wanted anything to do with that piece of-

"Oh my god! You're Li Syaoran, aren't you?"

Syaoran looked up just in time to see a woman throwing herself into the empty seat across from his. "Oh wow it _is_ you! There was news that you had transferred here for your last year but-"

"You've got the wrong person," he growled and pushed out of his chair, grabbing his backpack in the same move. He hesitated a fraction of a second before snagging the painting too, and then stormed out of the café before he had to deal with any more fawning sycophants.

Hiiragizawa had a _lot_ of explaining to do.

 **-x-**

Sakura catapulted into her room, shocking Tomoyo, who had been studiously procrastinating on her upcoming paper. One look at Sakura's face had her throwing her textbook aside, but no matter how she consoled her friend, Sakura's tears still fell, drop by drop.

They were now huddled on Tomoyo's bed, with a box of tissues to Sakura's left and wads of used tissues on her right.

"W-What… _how?_ When did he…" Sakura sucked in a deep shuddering breath, struggling to compose herself. "When did he come back? How did you know?"

Tomoyo tightened her grip on her weeping friend, mentally cursing Eriol for suggesting the blind date. She had been a strong proponent of first telling Sakura that Syaoran was back in town and then taking action, but Eriol had been certain Sakura wouldn't have been able to work up the courage to face Syaoran. Hence, she had been convinced to go along with the "SURPRISE" idea… and she was regretting every minute of it now.

There was a loud sniffle, and then Sakura pulled back and wiped her eyes. Her nose was red and her eyes puffy, but even through all her confusion and misery, she was able to look at Tomoyo levelly.

"Okay, okay… wait sorry, I think I'm calmer now." She blew her nose one more time, and then attempted a watery smile. It was only half-successful, but it was a smile nonetheless. "So what happened? Why is Syaoran back?"

Tomoyo sighed sympathetically, handing her a fresh tissue. "He transferred from HKU to complete his last year of university abroad. I think Eriol also mentioned Li Corp recently acquired some technology company out here and they wanted someone to oversee the M&A process."

"So he's back for the year?"

"I think so."

"Oh." Sakura sounded very small, and when she looked up at Tomoyo, she looked like she wanted to cry again. "He doesn't remember anything about me, does he? I saw the look on his face… he thought he was meeting a complete stranger."

Tomoyo reached for Sakura's hand and grasped it tightly, wondering how she should articulate her thoughts. At the end of the day, Sakura was a strong woman. She'd be able to handle the truth, however harsh it may be. Still, Tomoyo wanted to do everything she could to prevent any additional heartbreak.

"Syaoran doesn't remember," she started, carefully. "Eriol confirmed it during the couple times they chatted about his transfer. But that doesn't mean there isn't hope. We've been doing a lot of research lately, and we think there's a loophole."

Sakura blinked. "A loophole?"

"Void's condition for capture was the removal of Syaoran's strongest feeling at the time, which was his love for you and his memory of you. But that doesn't mean he can't fall in love with you again."

Tomoyo slowly waited for this information to sink in. She could see Sakura struggling to process this newfound hope, but it was understandably difficult given how long she had convinced herself there would be no more chances between her and Syaoran.

And really, there had been no reason to assume there would be a second opportunity. Magic was, if anything, binding. It was why Sakura herself had to change all the Clow Cards to Sakura Cards, and why, in theory, Void's condition for capture could not be reversed.

However...

"What?" Sakura finally breathed.

"The sacrifice was already complete at the time. Void _did_ remove all of Syaoran's memories and his love for you. You fulfilled your end of the bargain, but that doesn't mean history can't repeat itself."

Tomoyo was getting more and more insistent with each word. She was trying desperately to get Sakura to understand the possibilities that lay ahead, especially now that Syaoran was guaranteed to be in the country for a year. But Sakura was struggling hard, wrestling with the implications of those words, her logic warring against her heart. She was scared to hope, frightened that even though there was truth to all this, it could all still culminate in failure and further heartbreak.

"But what about the Void?" Sakura wrung her hands, feeling incredibly insecure. "I don't want to run the risk of upsetting that balance again."

"The Void has already been converted to a Sakura Card. We thought about this too, but Eriol doesn't think we have to worry about her anymore. The conversion should also be binding."

Sakura bit her lip, and Tomoyo could practically see the wheels in her head turn, processing the information over and over again. She opened her mouth and then closed it again, and she did this enough times that Tomoyo wondered just how many questions were running through Sakura's head. It was endearing, but also incredibly frustrating.

Ever since the incident with Void years ago, Sakura had grown more cautious and reclusive. Tomoyo couldn't even remember the last time she had heard the ever-present _"Surely everything will be all right"_ mantra that had been such a part of Sakura's younger years.

Tomoyo grasped Sakura's hands, squeezing so tightly that she wished she could _will_ her to understand. "Please, won't you try again? For both Syaoran and yourself. You have nothing to lose."

Sakura's eyes widened, and to Tomoyo's surprise, she saw anger in them. "No, I have _everything_ to lose!" she cried, and wrenched her hands away. "Don't you understand, Tomoyo? I can't do this again. I am not going to drag Syaoran back into my life only to risk him getting hurt again."

"But you wouldn't be! The danger has passed."

"There will always be new dangers." Sakura leapt off the bed, her agitation and anxiety causing her to pace. "I'm the Card Mistress, but when push came to shove, I couldn't protect the one person who had always protected me. I can't... I can't risk that again." She stopped and looked at Tomoyo desperately. "He's _happy_ now. Didn't you see him? He looks good... really good. Who am I to disrupt that?"

Tomoyo's violet eyes were level. "Is he though?" she asked quietly. "Did you even ask him? Did you even talk to him?"

"No," Sakura admitted slowly. "I sort of... ran away from him."

"Sakura..."

"I got scared, okay?" She groaned and slapped a hand to her face. "I kept _staring_ at him, and he was just looking at me like I was an idiot and I just didn't know what to _do_ anymore. And so I just... ran."

"I'm sure that helped the situation," Tomoyo said dryly.

Sakura sighed and finally exhausted the sudden burst of energy. She slumped down into the desk chair, suddenly looking incredibly sad and rather lost. "I don't know what to do, Tomoyo. Every time I see Syaoran, I see my own failure. I know it's been ten years and I've done my best to come to terms with everything, but... but when I saw him again, it was as if those ten years never happened. I feel like I'm back to square one again."

Tomoyo's eyes were sorrowful. "Sakura, if he knew, he wouldn't blame you," she said gently. "It was never your fault. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to save everyone."

"I wish it had been me."

"Oh don't say that, Sakura. I know it still hurts you, but as much as I hate to say this, it's all in the past now. What matters is the future. You have a chance to make things right again. Are you really going to let your fears stop you?"

"I... I don't know."

"The answer is no," Tomoyo said firmly, and her tone insisted there couldn't have been a second answer. "He's finally back. How could you possibly give up on him now?"

Sakura's eyes were wide and terrified when she finally looked at Tomoyo again. "But what makes you think Syaoran would want to be with me again? What makes you think he'd even care anymore? He has his own life now."

Tomoyo could barely suppress her smile. It was just like Sakura to be so clueless to the world around her. Her innocence was refreshing, albeit a little frustrating at times. Ten years had passed... ten years and nothing had truly changed about Syaoran. He was still as stubborn and uncooperative as Tomoyo remembered, but the moment he had laid eyes on Sakura, Tomoyo had known there was still hope. It wasn't so much what he said or what he did, but it was in the way that his eyes had never left her face, the way he had been riveted on her words, even as she stumbled and stuttered and practically threw her painting in his face.

"Now that's something you _really_ don't have to worry about," she finally said, earning a distrustful look from Sakura. "Did you see the way he reacted to you? He may not know who you are, but that doesn't mean he wasn't affected by your presence."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Her tears had dried by now, and her cheeks were slowly returning to a healthy shade of pink again. "I think you're being too optimistic. You didn't see his expression when I ran out on him. I told you, I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm crazy."

"Crazy beautiful, probably."

"Tomoyo!"

"Are you saying I'm wrong?" She grinned and motioned for Sakura to return to the bed, upon which she combed her hands through Sakura's hair, untangling a few knots that had resulted from her bawling session earlier. "Come on, have a little faith. When have I ever been wrong about people?"

"It's been ten years."

"Ten years and nothing's changed about him. Well, except maybe his appearance." Tomoyo let out a loud swooning sigh and pressed an exaggerated hand to her forehead. "Did you _see_ the way he looked? Who would've thought that sword-toting brat would grow into such a handsome man?"

Sakura promptly blushed five different shades of red and gave Tomoyo a little shove, sending the latter sprawling across her bed. "Tomoyo! I'm being serious."

"Oh, so am I." She sat up and winked. "If you two weren't such star-crossed lovers, I myself wouldn't mind giving him a go."

"TOMOYO!"

"Any louder and Syaoran's going to hear you." When Sakura only scowled, Tomoyo grinned and leaned forward, poking an experimental finger into Sakura's side. Her lips twitched, but she batted her hand away. Tomoyo tried again… and again… and then Sakura erupted into a peal of laughter. "There we go! You're so pretty when you smile."

"You're impossible," Sakura groaned, but she couldn't stop her mouth from curving. "You really think I still have a chance with Syaoran? Honestly?"

"Yes, Sakura. I really do."

"But…"

Tomoyo rested her hands on Sakura's shoulders and gave her a firm shake. "Would you stop doubting yourself? Believe me. And believe in Syaoran. He _will_ fall in love with you again. I saw what the two of you had, and that wasn't just a passing fancy for either of you. Not even magic will be able to snuff this out. It's only a matter of time before he comes back to you."

Sakura's green eyes glistened. "I would like that," she whispered. "I would like that very much."

"Excellent! Are you ready for this then?"

"Ready for what?"

Tomoyo merely held out her cell phone in response. Sakura glanced at the screen, and then balked when she saw Syaoran's name and number displayed against the white background.

"His number's here. Call him."

 **-x-**

"HIIRAGIZAWA!"

Eriol winced when he heard his front door fly open, smacking into the wall with a resounding _thwack_ that clearly left a dent in the plaster. He mentally reminded himself to patch up the wall in case the landlord were to ever drop by, and hurried out of the bedroom and into the living area, where Syaoran was busy tearing off his shoes.

He allowed himself a small smile. Even when angry, Syaoran remained courteous enough to not trek mud and dirt into the room. If anything, this was a sure sign that he had grown up.

Syaoran glowered when he straightened and promptly threw his book bag in Eriol's face.

"What the _fuck_ is wrong with you, Hiiragizawa? Exactly who did you try to set me up with?"

Eriol winced. So maybe Syaoran hadn't fully grown up yet. He decided to opt for confused innocence, since he was dealing with a Syaoran who looked like he wanted to take his head off.

"You mean Sakura? She's Tomoyo's best friend. She's really sweet, so I figured you two would balance each other out. You know, her sweetness and your… heathen-like tendencies." He had to quickly duck to avoid the shoe flying his way, and then readjusted his glasses when he straightened again. "Why do you ask? What happened?"

Syaoran glared. " _What happened?_ First the woman was late… _who's late to a blind date?_ I thought dates were all about first impressions!" Eriol opened his mouth to speak, but Syaoran shouldered past him agitatedly, successfully cutting him off. "And _then_ she looked at me as if she'd seen a ghost and started _crying_ for no reason. Who the hell does that?" His abruptly spun around practically shoved his finger into Eriol's nose. "Was it you? Did you say something bad about me?"

Eriol blinked, momentarily stunned. His mind struggled to process Syaoran's rapid-fire commentary—Syaoran, who normally barely managed to grunt out two words during conversations. He finally managed to regain enough presence of mind to usher the irate man over to the couch, and after dropping Syaoran's bag near the shoe rack, he hurried into the kitchen to prepare some tea.

Chamomile tea, he decided. Syaoran could do with some calming.

Eriol mused over the situation as he took out his tea set. Had he been wrong after all? Tomoyo had warned him again and again that although Sakura appeared to be fine on a day-to-day basis, ten years hadn't been enough time for her to completely forget Syaoran. And now, to bring him back into her life without warning?

Maybe it was too sudden. Maybe giving her a heads up would've been the better alternative to a forced meeting. Maybe this was still too soon?

He was still musing over these thoughts as he carried over two cups of tea and set them on the table in front of Syaoran.

"Why did she have such a strong reaction to me?" Syaoran demanded. He looked incredibly moody and uncharacteristically ruffled, with his hair in such disarray thathe appeared quite a few years younger than his 21.

Eriol couldn't remember the last time he had seen or heard Syaoran so flustered. In fact, it didn't seem like Syaoran ever _got_ flustered unless it had to do with Sakura. He had to hide a smile. Syaoran may have been a university student and may have been integral to his family's business, but at the end of the day, he was still that ten-year-old boy who fell head over heels for the green-eyed girl.

And it was this realization that gave Eriol hope. Because though Syaoran didn't understand the situation himself, his heart still knew whom it wanted.

"Maybe your ugly mug made her cry," Eriol finally said. "Have you considered that?"

"She most definitely did not think I was ugly," Syaoran snapped, and took a sip of his tea. He made a face as he swallowed and then eyed his cup suspiciously. "Am I tasting mango and hibiscus flowers? With chamomile? Why do you have such girly tea?"

Eriol rolled his eyes. "And why do you have so many complaints? I can see why Sakura didn't like you. I wouldn't either, if I were her."

"And yet you still set me up with her."

"Sakura makes friends with just about everyone. I figured she'd be able to tolerate even you." He shrugged then. "Guess I was wrong. I hope she's all right. I can't even begin to imagine how traumatic it must've been to deal with you."

Syaoran scowled and slammed his cup back into its saucer. "I'm always a perfect gentleman."

Eriol arched a brow. "That's pretty difficult to believe, considering the huge dent you left in my wall and the way you're manhandling my fine china."

"You're just really irritating. I can't help myself."

Eriol had to smother his laughter. "My fault, of course. _"_ He switched gears. "So the date went badly, then? Big deal. You've never been hung up over a woman before. Why do you care so much now?"

"I've also never made a woman cry within the first ten minutes," Syaoran responded wryly. He eyed his hands for a moment, and then said, almost contemplatively, "There was also _something_ about her. I don't know what it was exactly, but something in me feels like I know her. That's weird, right? I'm certain we've never crossed paths before, but when I saw her, I felt… strange."

"Strange?"

"Yeah." Syaoran gestured a little helplessly. "Strange as in… my stomach was churning, and I felt a little anxious. Maybe a little sick?"

"So you're telling me… the moment you saw Sakura, you felt like you had the stomach flu?"

Syaoran turned beet red and threw an overstuffed cushion in his face. "Shut the hell up, Hiiragizawa."

But the dam had burst, and Eriol was laughing now. He couldn't help it. It was a mixture of Syaoran's startling immaturity when it came to women, coupled with an overwhelming feeling of relief that he hadn't managed to screw everything up.

He had asked Syaoran a while back about the Card Mistress and had tried poking his brain to see how much he was allowed to remember. But Syaoran had merely mentioned that he was aware of the Card Mistress' existence and knew he had fought with her, but that was it. There was no face or name that he could recall, and had since then felt no desire to contact her, given that the cards no longer belonged to Clow Reed.

But now that he knew Syaoran still felt the pull of his connection with Sakura… this was definitely something he could work with.

But he had no time to further dwell on these thoughts. One second Syaoran was casually inspecting a fingernail, and in the next second he had slammed Eriol into his armchair.

Eriol choked and barely managed to knock Syaoran aside before he was lunging again, with all the rage of a rabid beast.

"Oh come on is this really necessary?" he cried, barely managing to dodge another swipe. "Can you stop acting like a prepubescent teen? I'm sorry for laughing, all right?"

Syaoran glowered from where he stood, arms crossed defiantly across his chest. "This is what you get for laughing at my misery." He stopped to think for a moment. "Actually, no. This is what you get for _creating_ my misery."

Eriol ran a hand through his dark hair. "All right, so maybe the circumstances weren't ideal. That still does not warrant your attacking me. A little infantile, perhaps?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Fine. Ageless freak," he muttered.

Eriol grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment." He pushed his armchair back into its upright position and sat down in it once again. He wondered if he'd soon get a noise complaint from his downstairs neighbors. "What were we talking about before you went all Neanderthal on me?"

"Your dumb friend," he grumbled.

"Ah, the fair Sakura? Is that how a gentleman should refer to a nice, young woman?"

"Nice my ass."

Eriol decided to ignore that comment. Instead, he said, "I don't know why she'd be upset with you. But I can guarantee it wasn't something I said."

More like something he _didn't_ say, but he wasn't going to put that card on the table.

Syaoran slumped back onto the couch and threw his head back. "You're so useless," he groaned. "She's _your_ friend. And she left her stupid painting with me and I don't know what to do with it. Why do women have to be so _complicated?_ "

Eriol felt an impending headache. Why had he ever thought Syaoran was capable of maturity? "You know, instead of wailing about this like a useless brat, you could try the novel idea of, you know, _asking her?_ "

Syaoran looked at him flatly. "Don't be stupid, Hiiragizawa. I don't even know her last name, much less her contact information."

Now it was his turn to stare. "You're a right little genius, aren't you? _I_ have her information, you dolt."

"Oh."

Eriol had to remind himself to keep calm. He had always commended himself on his ability to deal with Syaoran's antics, even back when they had been in Tomoeda. But now… for someone who was so praised for his business intelligence, Syaoran wasn't doing a very good job of putting two and two together.

"Yes. So, what's it going to be?"

Syaoran's amber eyes narrowed as he considered the proposition. He appeared to be mentally weighing the pros and cons, but then he shook his head abruptly, seeming to decide that it was all out of the question. "That's a terrible idea," he said scornfully. "I am _not_ going to chase after a woman who can't even stand the sight of me. I am not that desperate."

But taking in the agitation on his face, Eriol wasn't sure Syaoran even fully believed what he said.

"Are you sure about that?"

A second's pause, and then, "Okay… so maybe I'm not that sure."

Eriol chuckled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found Sakura's number. It was simple work to press a few buttons, and then Syaoran's phone let out a little beep to alert him of an incoming message.

He looked at his phone almost warily. "Thanks," he grumbled.

"You're very welcome. I hope you know what to do next."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _(edited July 3)_ It's been about half a year since I published the first chapter of this story (I know it's been forever... I'M SORRY!) and now I'm finally coming back to it. But I realized I didn't like the way the first chapter was written... not enough description, too much dialogue, and so I've set out to rectify that. Here's the revised chapter, with a new story title to boot. Please stay tuned for chapter two! It shouldn't be too long this time around. Thanks so much!

 _xx KRS_


	2. Rekindling

This Time (we'll do it right)

 _Part II. Rekindling_

* * *

Kinomoto Sakura.

Kinomoto Sakura.

Sakura.

Syaoran groaned and flipped his phone shut again. It shouldn't have been so hard. By now, he had lost count of the number of times his eyes had strayed towards the painting propped against the wall, and had certainly lost count of the number of times he'd opened his phone, stared at that name and that number, and then flipped it shut again.

Since when had he turned into such a gutless whelp?

All he really wanted to do was return the painting, he reasoned. There was technically nothing wrong with that, although why anyone would want that painting back was beyond him. Maybe there was good reason she hadn't contacted him about it after all.

Syaoran leaned back into the couch and squeezed his eyes shut. Did he not have a life? How much longer was he going to obsess over this? There was homework to do, meetings to attend on behalf of Li Corp, but instead of doing any of the aforementioned activities, he was pining.

 _Pining._

Li Syaoran did not fucking _pine._

There was a short jingle that signaled an incoming text, but Syaoran had been so on edge the entire afternoon that it nearly sent him into an epileptic fit.

He gave himself a second to glare at the phone, and then flipped it open with an irritated flick of his thumb.

 _Did you call her yet?_

Syaoran scowled. Goddamn Hiiragizawa. He chose not to respond to the text and decided to brood over the painting some more.

A minute passed, and then another beep.

 _Grow some guts, Li. No, don't glare at me. That's not gonna do anything for your predicament._

Syaoran was glaring so hard at the tiny screen that he wondered if it was possible to sprain his eye muscles.

 _Go canoodle with Daidouji and leave me alone,_ he typed, and pressed the send button with more force than necessary.

Feeling immensely satisfied with this small victory, Syaoran tossed his phone. The moment it landed on the nearby cushion, it let out a little beep, as if in protest, followed by a shrill ring.

Syaoran groaned and tried his hardest to ignore it, but the ringing persisted, as if it knew it was being ignored and was determined to fight him. He finally decided the growing headache wasn't worth his stubbornness and viciously flipped his phone open again.

"I swear to _god_ , if you nag me one more time about Kinomoto I'm going to shove something very unpleasant up your ass," he barked.

There was an unsettling quiet from the other end of the line, a silence that lasted significantly longer than what Syaoran would've expected from Hiiragizawa. And as the seconds ticked by, Syaoran felt his irritation fading away, to be replaced by a growing sense of unease. Even if he had been shocked by the hostility, it shouldn't have taken him _this_ long to respond.

He was just about to pull the phone away to check the caller ID when a voice spoke up on the other end of the line, sounding distinctly _female_ and not at all like Hiiragizawa.

"Umm… is this… is this Li?"

Syaoran let out a loud string of curses when he heard her voice, and then hastily slapped a hand over his mouth. There was an awkward pause on the other end, as if the caller was completely bewildered by what was happening, before the soft voice said, "Umm… sorry I think I may have dialed the wrong-"

"NO!" Syaoran shouted, and then cursed again. "I mean, no, no you didn't dial the wrong number."

"Oh." Another pregnant pause. "So am I speaking with Li? Li Syaoran?"

For a second, Syaoran seriously debated the merits of pretending he was his long lost cousin twice removed, just so he wouldn't have to own up to the incredible idiocy he had displayed just moments prior. But ultimately, he decided it simply wouldn't do to be a coward forever, and so said tentatively and with no small degree of trepidation, "Yes, speaking."

The caller now sounded a little flustered, to his surprise. "Oh hi! Umm… this is Sakura. Kinomoto Sakura. We met the other day at the café?"

"Yes, I remember." He swallowed, and forced himself to sound more put-together than he actually was. "What can I do for you?"

"Well uh, I accidentally left my painting at the café that day, and Eriol mentioned that you had taken it. I was wondering if I could pick it up from you?"

Syaoran blew out a breath. Of course she was calling about the painting. "Yes of course. I'm available later this afternoon, if you'd like to grab it."

"That sounds good!" A breathless laugh. "At the café again? 4pm?"

"I'll be there."

"Great!" An awkward pause. "Umm see you later!" And with a click, she hung up before he could say anything else. Syaoran was left to stare at his phone, and then he let out a loud groan and buried his face in his hands. He didn't think he could be a bigger idiot even if he had tried.

-x-

Sakura chose to seat herself at the same table and in the same seat that she had occupied two days ago. She figured this was the most obvious location for them to meet, and given that Syaoran hadn't sounded too pleased to converse with her over the phone, she had been determined to not call him again.

The call had been just short and abrupt enough that she had spent the next fifteen minutes fretting over how horribly it had gone, and thus had to be reassured by an increasingly exasperated Tomoyo that Syaoran had always been a man of few words, and that his curtness wasn't directed towards her. Still, it probably hadn't helped that she had sounded like such a flustered little girl.

And now she was sitting in the café, waiting for him with her heart practically at her throat. She had been determined to arrive five minutes early so they wouldn't have a repeat of her previous spectacle, but she hadn't counted on her nerves being so frayed. As a result, it was starting to feel like she was experiencing a small heart attack every time a student entered through the double doors.

Finally, at 4pm on the dot, the doors slid open and Syaoran walked in. His hair was in mild disarray from the autumn wind and he was dressed in a light blue sweater and dark jeans, but even this casual look sent Sakura's heart aflutter. And as their eyes met across the café, she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the sight of him again after so long.

She tried in vain not to stare as he approached, and when he pulled out the chair across from hers and seated himself in one fluid motion, Sakura was honestly scared she'd pass out from the anxiety. She could feel her heart straining to thump right out of her chest and into his unaware hands. This was bad… she was a goner, and he hadn't even said anything yet.

He cleared his throat and gave her a small smile. "Hey."

She swallowed. "Hi."

If he thought her response was short, he didn't say anything. Instead, he placed a large bag on the table. "Here's your painting. I figured it'd be easier for you to carry this way."

His words were casual, and even thoughtful, but there was an undercurrent of _something_ that made Sakura's eyes narrow despite her helpless adoration of him.

"You mean you put the painting in a bag so you wouldn't have to be seen in public with it, right?"

He blushed. It was so quick, just a sudden flush of his cheeks that Sakura almost thought she had imagined it. Syaoran still _blushed?_ The thought filled her with warmth. He didn't seem like a man who was easily embarrassed, but it was so reminiscent of him in their youth that she felt a renewed sense of hope.

Tomoyo was right. It looked like some things never changed.

"I meant no offense," he finally replied, awkwardly, "but uh… it's not the best painting I've seen."

Sakura giggled. He looked surprised, and she figured her response must've shocked him.

"Believe me, I'm aware I shouldn't be let loose near a brush or paint of any kind." She grabbed the painting and set it next to her chair. "At least you were nice enough to sugarcoat it. My professor straight up just let me have it."

"Yes I remember." Syaoran smiled again, a little crookedly. It could've been the way the smile felt a little forced, but she got the feeling it wasn't something he did on a regular basis. "You were pretty upset that day."

At this, Sakura felt her face flush. "Yeah… I probably didn't leave the greatest first impression."

"It's all right. I'm not exactly faultless in that regard either." He shrugged sheepishly. "I apologize for the misunderstanding we had over the phone. Hiiragizawa was pestering me about… about someone, and your timing was a little unfortunate."

Sakura choked out a laugh and did her best to cover up her dismay. She had been too flustered by his unexpected rage that she hadn't paid full attention to what he had said, but she could've sworn he had said her name. Did that mean Eriol was in on this too? Was he trying to subtly—or, as it turned out, not so subtly—nudge Syaoran in her direction?

There wasn't much she could say to that. "No offense taken. Looks like we've just started off on the wrong foot." And without allowing herself to truly process her next move, Sakura stuck out her hand. "Let's just say we're even?"

He eyed her hand almost warily, as if he was scared it was going to bite him. Sakura mentally berated herself; she had barely gotten over speaking to him normally. She wasn't sure she was fully ready for skin-on-skin contact yet. Her hand wobbled slightly as he stared at it, but just as she was about to retract her offer, he reached out and took her hand. A jolt coursed through her fingers, a sharp spark that wasn't necessarily painful, but could've hardly been considered pleasant either. She wrenched her hand back with a gasp and saw that Syaoran had done the same. The look on his face was a cross between alarm and confusion.

Sakura's mind was spinning. Why did this keep happening? She wanted to attribute it to static electricity, but even she wasn't naïve enough to think there wasn't another force at play. But there _shouldn't_ have been. That sacrifice long ago had ensured that Void had completely stripped her from Syaoran's memory, and along with that, had stripped her magic from his. And now that she had converted all her cards to Sakura Cards, the source of their magic wasn't even the same. But then where did this energy come from?

"Sorry about that," Syaoran finally said, and tugged on his sweater warily. "It must be the material."

"That's all right," Sakura responded. But it wasn't all right. Somewhere, somehow, fate had decided to give her another shot at finding her happiness. But what was she risking for it? Was this spark meant to be a subtle warning for her to back off?

Sakura was so caught up in her inner turmoil that she almost missed the shock on Syaoran's face. He was looking at something past her, but before she could turn around to see what had caught his attention, two girls suddenly materialized at their table.

The shock had her jumping a little in her seat, earning her a disdainful look from the girl standing closest to her. The woman was very pretty, with her bright eyes and brown hair done up in a sky-high ponytail. She was wearing a uniform that suggested she was on the university's dance team, and it did such a good job of hugging her curves in all the right places that Sakura was beginning to wonder if she'd ever see a prettier woman.

Then her gaze traveled to the second member of their party and her jaw dropped. Well then. It appeared her question had just been answered.

The woman's body was angled away from Sakura, but there was no hiding that model-like figure under the preppy button-up shirt and jean-clad mile-long legs. She was smiling winningly at Syaoran, and when she spoke, her voice was as smooth as honey.

"I didn't believe it when Minghui told me you were here, but lo and behold."

Syaoran's lips twisted. "Hello Fei."

"Xiaolang." Her smile widened, flashing pearly white teeth. Sakura was momentarily stunned by just how beautiful this woman was. Everything from her perfectly straight black hair to the way she held herself screamed high society, and given the way she spoke to Syaoran, it was clear they knew each other in more than just a friendly capacity.

"So this is where you've been," she continued casually, as if they were discussing the weather. "I go all the way home only to hear you had cancelled our engagement. And for what? _School?_ " She clucked her tongue, her smile now looking more dangerous than beautiful. "At least now I know your mother didn't lie to me. And I had been so sure she was just trying to get rid of me too. Who would've thought you'd actually run all the way to Japan to escape me?"

There was bite in her words, but Syaoran appeared otherwise unmoved; instead, he looked almost bored. He was leaning back in his seat, arms crossed lazily across his chest. "'Escape' is hardly the word I'd use. It couldn't be helped that a better opportunity arose." He tipped his head back with a smile. "Besides, you're being awfully rude, Fei. Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"

And then to Sakura's horror, he gestured towards her. She desperately shook her head, wanting nothing to do with this conversation because this was yet another thing about Syaoran that she clearly didn't know and wasn't sure she wanted to find out about at the moment. But it was already too late, and Fei was now looking at her with a suspicious curve to her lips that was only a curl away from a sneer.

Her upbringing must've prevented her from being downright nasty, however, because despite her clear contempt, those ruby-red lips curved into a bright glittering smile. "Xiaolang's right, that was incredibly rude of me. My name's Hu Fei, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Sakura offered a hesitant smile. "The pleasure's all mine. I'm Sakura."

"What a lovely name," Fei commented. Her friend, Minghui, nodded along like a puppet on strings. It was slightly disconcerting. "Now would you kindly leave us alone for a moment, Sakura? I'd like to have a private word with Xiaolang."

Sakura blinked. She replayed the conversation in her mind, half confused as to whether she had just been dismissed and half wondering if she might as well just take this opportunity to retreat from the awkward situation. Normally she wouldn't have been so accepting of being treated so rudely, but after a brief internal debate, she realized she was even more unwilling to stay and listen in on what would undoubtedly be a private argument.

She had just begun to stand when Syaoran suddenly shoved out of his chair. He ignored the look of shock on Fei's face and strode past her to where Sakura was still half out her seat, frozen in indecision, and reached down to grab her painting.

"Um…"

He nodded at her. "Come on, Kinomoto. Let's go."

A hand on his arm halted him in his tracks. "We're not done talking yet, Li Xiaolang," Fei said angrily. She released her hold when he fully turned to face her, but her expression was set. "I deserve an explanation for what you did to me."

"Maybe," Syaoran replied, "but not today."

Her eyes widened. "What-"

"Fei." There was a severity to his tone that cut her short. "I promise I'll call you, but now is not a good time."

He turned and grabbed Sakura's hand without sparing Fei another glance. They strode down the steps and into the courtyard where all the bikes were parked. There were students milling around as classes ended, but Syaoran weaved through the crowd effortlessly until they came across a relatively empty hallway.

He released her hand immediately.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't have gotten caught in all of that," he said apologetically. "Fei is, needless to say, a bit of a character. I hadn't expected to run into her."

Sakura was slowly trying to come to terms with what she had just witnessed. There were so many questions milling through her head, but the only one that made it out of her mouth was: "That's your fiancé?"

" _Was_ my fiancé," he corrected with grimace. "It's a long story."

"I didn't even know you were engaged," she whispered.

Syaoran looked at her strangely. "Why would you?"

Sakura froze. She hadn't meant for that comment to slip out, and certainly hadn't expected him to catch on. He was watching her carefully, and as she forced herself to meet his gaze, she realized there was something incredibly unsettling about the way he regarded her. His amber eyes were sharp, hawk-like in their intensity—always watchful, always alert. He could clearly sense something was off, and he was intrigued.

Sakura suddenly felt mildly terrified of him… terrified that if he assessed her long enough, he would be able to see into her soul. And that wasn't something she was sure she wanted.

The incident just now also made it clearer to her that she knew nothing about him anymore. They were living two separate lives in two very different worlds. Would it make sense for her to still drop their past on him? And for that matter, what made her think he would even believe her? Not to mention there was still that little matter of his fiancé…

She glared at him. She didn't want to sort through the myriad of complicated emotions at the moment, so she defaulted to the next best thing—anger. "I don't get it," she snapped. "Why did you even go on this blind date if you have a fiancé waiting in the wings?"

Her outburst clearly startled him. Syaoran's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, and Sakura could practically see his brain working, trying to make sense of the abrupt change in her attitude. A part of her felt a little ashamed for acting so petulantly, but another part of her almost felt it was justified. What _was_ he doing, acting like his fiancé didn't exist, when it was clear their relationship hadn't reached any sort of conclusion yet?

Finally, after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Like I said earlier, she was my fiancé. We're no longer engaged and have no further dalliance with each other."

"It certainly doesn't seem like she got the memo," Sakura responded snidely. She refused to admit the emotion coursing through her was jealousy.

Syaoran sighed. "Look, I already apologized. Our relationship is a little complicated, but it's not like I'm cheating on her."

"You still shouldn't have come," she persisted, "not when you haven't resolved everything. It's irresponsible. You're just giving any woman you see false hope."

Syaoran's expression was morphing from confusion into impatience. He opened his mouth as if to retort, but then seemed to think better of it. He set her painting down against one of the columns that lined the hallway and then straightened and tucked a hand into his pocket. When he finally looked at her again, his face was calm, and if he still felt any impatience, Sakura couldn't see any evidence of it. The transformation was impressive, if not a little robotic. She didn't think she had ever seen anyone with such good control of his emotions.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "Although I'm surprised you're so offended. I didn't think you liked me much, considering how quickly you ran away that day."

He said this all very calmly, but there was a spark in his eyes that belied his tone. He was mocking her, and this made Sakura bristle even more.

"Whether or not I like you is hardly of importance in this case," she snapped. A strand of hair fell into her eyes and she brushed it away impatiently. "It's the principle of the matter."

His lips twitched. "You're lecturing me on principles now? Somehow you didn't strike me as the condescending type."

Sakura felt her frustration mount. This wasn't how their meeting was supposed to go! How could everything have gone so wrong? She had fully intended to use this time to get to know Syaoran again, to attempt to explain to him who she was and how their histories had been so intertwined. But she hadn't expected an argument to be a part of it.

And if she wasn't going to be able to have a civil conversation with him, then she didn't want to have one at all.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," she announced. She strode forward and grabbed the painting with a huff. "Thanks for returning my painting. I hope you have a good evening." And without waiting for a response from him, she stormed off, fighting to suppress all the rage and frustration that threatened to boil over.

-x-

Syaoran watched her retreating figure with no small amount of confusion, coupled with an increasing sense of irritation. This was the _second_ time she had run off on him, with next to no explanation, and he couldn't understand why he was always on the receiving end of this.

He internally wrestled with himself on what to do next. Technically he had done nothing wrong. Whether or not he had been engaged to Fei was none of Sakura's business. He didn't owe her an explanation, and he certainly shouldn't have felt bad for the way she had looked at him when she had found out, almost as if he had betrayed her.

The notion was absurd.

And yet a small traitorous corner of his heart was gently poking him. Logic dictated he wasn't responsible for her unhappiness, but there was something about her that made him want to do better. He just wasn't necessarily sure he knew what 'better' meant.

The thought made him angrier. Who was she to command such loyalty from him when he didn't even understand the situation? Syaoran always prided himself on having a level head, but Sakura was ruining everything. He didn't like that very much.

"Oi!" He started after her. "Get back here, Kinomoto!"

Her footsteps faltered when she heard her name. She cautioned a glance over her shoulder, and upon seeing the murderous look on his face, let out a little "Hmph!" and spun around and started walking determinedly away again, this time faster.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed at her gall. Did she honestly think she could get away so easily?

She was almost at the crosswalk when she peeked over her shoulder again. She let out a little gasp when she noticed he was only steps away and, as he watched on in sheer incredulity, bolted across the street into the incoming traffic.

His reflexes kicked in. One second he was opening his mouth to shout out a warning, and the next second he was flying across the pavement. He barreled into her, his momentum carrying the both of them onto the center divide and out of the way of the vehicle that screeched past mere seconds later.

Syaoran's chest heaved, the adrenaline blocking out all sounds of the traffic rushing around them. All he could focus on was the woman cradled in his arms. His heart was pumping wildly, bursts of fear coursing through him—fear that maybe he had been too rough, maybe he hadn't protected her enough, maybe she had already been injured and he hadn't gotten to her in time.

"Syaoran?"

Her voice was meek, but when he looked down at her, he felt a huge wave of relief. Her green eyes were wide, probably from the shock of getting body-slammed into the ground, but other than a light scrape on her cheek, she looked unharmed.

 _She was okay._

And with the fear gone came the rage.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he shouted. He shoved off her with one angry move, sending her sprawling onto the narrow concrete of the divide. "Did you not learn how to cross a street?"

Sakura sat up, her shock slowly dissolving to bewilderment as she watched him.

"Can you not be such an idiot next time?" he demanded. "You could've gotten killed!"

She blinked. "What-"

"How can you be so careless?" Syaoran was on his feet now and he tore a hand roughly through his hair in his agitation. "God! Of all the irresponsible-"

Sakura surged to her feet as well, her face angled defiantly up towards him. "Why are you so angry?"

"Because you could've seriously hurt yourself!" he protested. "Do you know what that would've done to me?"

 _Wait… what?_

Sakura's lips parted silently.

Syaoran swallowed, feeling suddenly as if he had been possessed. What had he just said? Where had that thought even come from? He took a step back as he assessed her, slightly disturbed. Her hair was tousled, her clothing dirty and scraped around the knees, but there was a spark in her eyes that made her look like she had just won a war. And as that look faded into a sort of stunned surprise and gentle understanding from his admission, he wondered if he was going seriously crazy.

"What?" she whispered. "What did you just say?"

His throat felt very dry. "I... I don't know."

Sakura cocked her head, assessing him with an indescribable look. He wanted to avert his eyes, to run away from this conversation and this woman, but it was as if there was a force keeping him rooted to his spot.

"I don't understand," she finally said.

Syaoran sighed. He didn't understand either. He would've certainly tried to help if he ever saw someone in danger, but he had never experienced this sense of urgency before. The moment he had watched her run into that busy street, it was as if nothing else mattered to him anymore. Suddenly her safety was his only priority, and his body had reacted accordingly. But _why?_ Certainly no one would've ever considered him a knight in shining armor before.

A loud honking brought him out of his reverie, and he noticed for the first time since the near-miss that they were still standing in the middle of the street, on that divide.

"Let's get out of here first. I don't particularly fancy letting another car take a shot at my life today."

Syaoran didn't pause to see whether she agreed or not. He strode away from her, furiously trying to sort out his thoughts. He was well and truly losing it. That was his only explanation for how he was acting. He couldn't think around her, acted like a _loon_ in front of her, and to make matters worse, his heart went into strange palpitations when he saw her.

 _Goddammit._

They had just crossed the street and into a nearby park when Syaoran suddenly spun around. "What is it about you? What is _wrong_ with you?" he demanded, knowing all too well that he was making little sense. But for the life of him, he couldn't seem to bring himself to care. "Why are you doing this to me?"

The shock was back on Sakura's face, but it was there for only a second before it morphed into anger. "What are talking about? What am I doing to you?"

"You're turning me into an idiot."

She looked incredibly affronted. "And how is your idiocy _my_ fault?"

"Because I'm only like this around you. It's obviously not _my_ problem," he huffed.

Sakura threw her hands into the air, and Syaoran couldn't help but think that she had been so much more cheerful when he had first met her. "God you're so _frustrating!_ " she said loudly. "Why are you acting like such a child?"

"I can't think rationally around you!" he finally bit out. His muscles tensed and he forced his hands to stay at his sides. "I've never had such a disconnect between what logic's telling me and what my emotions are telling me. It's almost as if..." He stopped then, and took in a slow, deep breath. "It's almost as if a part of me _knows_ you."

That thought caught foothold in his mind. Is that what the problem was? He _knew_ her? Was that why he was so willing to put his life on the line for her? But that was impossible. He had never seen her in his life, and he liked to think he had good memory. He would've recognized her… right?

He was so caught up in his own quandary that he almost missed the stunned look in Sakura's eyes. She was looking at him, half in surprise and half in horror, as if she couldn't fathom how he had jumped to that conclusion.

His eyes narrowed. " _Do_ I know you?"

"Why... why are you asking me?" she stammered. But all the fire had left her now. The fact that she hadn't denied the accusation was telling enough, but this woman was an open book. Her expressions hid nothing.

"I do know you," Syaoran concluded. He watched her shrewdly. "How do I know you? And how come I don't remember you?"

There was cautious hopefulness in her green eyes, and he marveled yet again at how youthful Sakura appeared. The way she was looking at him made it clear she was hiding something, but for whatever reason, she couldn't say it. Or wasn't willing to. But what was it? His gaze traveled from her long and now-tangled caramel hair to her pink sweater and down to her simple black jeans, but wait...

His eyes shot back towards her neck, where he saw a small pendant hanging off a gold necklace. He instinctively leaned forward to get a closer look, his eyes narrowing in on the pink jewelry. It was stick-like, with a miniature gold star framed in the center. A sudden pulse coursed through him, filling him with a prickling sense of unease that he couldn't fully explain. A second pulse pounded by, and he found himself questioning his initial assessment. This wasn't unease. It was… familiarity. His memory jogged through the pages and pages of books he had read on the Li Clan's history, on Clow and the Clow Cards, and he knew that he had definitely seen pictures of the pendant in those books. But this pendant—no, wand—looked different.

He instinctively reached out to get a better look at the necklace, but a pair of hands suddenly flew into his vision, resolutely shielding it from view. He looked up to see an alarmed Sakura, her eyes wide and hands shaking.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she stammered.

Syaoran straightened. "I've seen that necklace before, or at least one very similar to it. It has ties to my clan and my ancestors." He frowned then. "But why do you have it?"

"You… know this pendant?"

"I've seen something similar in the books we have in the Li Clan library, but yours is slightly different." The pendant belonged to the owner of the Clow Cards, that much he knew. And in this case, it belonged to the Card Mistress. The one Sakura kept covered in her grasp now looked like a sister piece to the original pendant, but that couldn't have been right. There shouldn't have even been a sister piece, unless…

Syaoran grabbed her arm. "You're… you're the _Card Mistress?_ " he asked incredulously.

Sakura's eyes were huge. The remaining hand fell away from her throat as she staggered back, and Syaoran was able to get a clear glimpse of the pendant again. The emblazoned star was encircled by a golden halo, and it was tiny and not at all intrusive, but in his mind's eye the pendant looked bigger… much bigger, until it was practically the size of a full staff.

And then he saw a girl wielding the staff, holding it high above her head like a defending angel, with two cards hovering above her—Night and Day. His heart lurched when he recognized the scene, and the girl in his vision turned around and looked at him, her green eyes blazing with the light of her confidence. She was shouting something at him, but there was such a loud roaring in his ears-

"Li!"

 _Sakura? Sakura, no-_

"Li! Are you all right?"

Syaoran's eyes flew open. He blinked, disconcerted, and jolted back in shock when he realized the ground was a lot closer than he had expected. It took another second for him to orient himself, which was when he noticed he was no longer standing but kneeling on the grass, both arms pitched forward to keep himself propped. Sakura was next to him, also on her knees, and she was watching him with such concern that he would've thought he was dying.

As if on cue, there was a particularly nasty pulse in his skull that made him wonder if he was, in fact, dying. The headache was making it incredibly difficult for him to think, but he knew the images he had seen weren't a lie. They were memories… but were they his?

Sakura had released her hold on his arm, but she was still hovering anxiously next to him. "Li, are you okay? Don't scare me like that!"

Syaoran moved to sit on the grass. "What happened just now?"

"You sort of just… collapsed. One second we were talking and the next second you were about to face plant to the ground. I tried to catch you but I didn't get to you in time."

Great, so he had passed out. He couldn't remember the last time he had fainted, but if anything, this was a sure sign that this was going down a bad path. There was something at the edge of his consciousness that was screaming at him, encouraging him to think, just _think_. If that pendant did indeed belong to the Card Mistress and Sakura owned the pendant, then that meant Sakura was the Card Mistress. But that couldn't have been possible. Syaoran had worked with the Card Mistress when he had lived in Tomoeda all those years ago. He had _known_ her, had helped her, had…

His train of thought screeched to a halt, as if it had slammed into a large mental wall. This was what it had been like over the past few years. His mind simply didn't allow him to dwell on his time in Tomoeda. Even now, Syaoran's thoughts were already drifting, his interest in the Card Mistress being pushed to the back of his mind to be replaced by seemingly more important things at hand. After all, this blockade on his youth was an issue that had plagued him for years; it could wait another few days. But the paper he had due tomorrow couldn't wait, the sales forecast he had promised the branch director he would look over couldn't wait, and he had already delayed long enough here with Sakura as it was.

"Li? Are you sure you're okay?" Her voice suddenly broke through his consciousness. She had hesitantly rested a hand on his arm again. "You're spacing out on me."

Syaoran had the presence of mind to nod. "I'll be fine, don't worry." And he really was fine, if he ignored the headache that was still lightly prodding the back of his head.

Sakura bit her lip. "If you're sure. You just looked like you were in pain, and…"

He cut her off. "Kinomoto, I'm fine. Really." He even gave her a small smile before he pushed himself to his feet. When she merely stared at him, he let out an internal sigh and held out a hand. "Come on, it's getting close to dinner time. I'd hate to keep you from your plans."

She allowed him to pull her to her feet, but the worry was clearly still in her eyes. She watched him with an attentiveness that he chose to ignore as he checked his pockets to ensure everything was on his person. When he was fairly sure the only thing he had lost was his pride, he offered her a brief smile.

"Well? Are you planning on staying here all night?"

"No," she said immediately, seemingly out of reflex, and then blinked. "Syaoran…"

That was when he felt it.

It took a while for him to understand what _it_ was, but the cold that had settled over him was both unfamiliar and familiar in its aura, leaving a chill that seeped deep into his bones. He spun around, his hand already enclosed around the pendant he carried on his person at all times, ready to activate at a moment's notice. This felt like the presence of a card, only much darker and heavier, as if the world had been rid of all happiness. It made Syaoran tighten his grip.

He noticed a small movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Sakura clutching the pendant at her throat. Her left hand rested on the purse at her waist, fingers poised over the zipper as if she was prepared to open it at any second.

The air grew colder and more stifling, and with each breath Syaoran took, it felt more and more like they had been placed in a vacuum that only contained a finite amount of oxygen. Were they going to suffocate? Was this the power of the card? Funnily enough, he couldn't recall any card having this particular ability, although maybe his mother had been right when she had insisted he didn't study hard enough.

Sakura had taken a few steps back so they were practically back-to-back. "Li, be careful. I think it's-"

A bolt of dark energy shot out of the sky, slamming into the ground next to their feet with a loud boom, sending the concrete flying. Syaoran had lunged out of the way just in time, and whirled around to see Sakura on the opposite side of the gaping hole in the ground. There was a card in her hand, but she was looking into the sky, desperately searching for the perpetrator.

As a result, she nearly missed the second wave of the attack, but Syaoran was prepared. He swung his sword in an arc around his body and slammed the blade into the first incantation slip he drew.

" _Raitei Shourai!_ "

The electricity cut through the dark energy, slicing into it with a resolute burst of energy that negated the spell. There was a loud wail in the darkness, and then the air shimmered, flickering slightly as if the entity was recoiling to prepare for a second onslaught.

The headache came back with a vengeance.

Syaoran felt his fingers loosen, heard his sword clattering to the ground, and as he felt the darkness beginning to lick the edge of his vision, he was vaguely aware that he was no longer standing but collapsed on the floor. A dull film had settled over his eyes and ears, but through the haziness, he thought he could hear Sakura shout something. A burst of light illuminated their surroundings, and when Syaoran cracked open his eyes again, a large pink staff had materialized in Sakura's hands.

His heart twisted upon seeing the familiar wand. He knew that wand, just as surely as he knew the girl currently wielding it like an avenging angel.

His lips parted, her name forming on his tongue.

Sakura was staring straight ahead, her eyes narrowed in on the hazy figure that had appeared before them. Through Syaoran's impaired vision, he could barely make out the shape of a young girl; she had her arms raised, almost as if she were asking for a hug, but a dark orb began growing between her palms, much like the orb from the first attack.

Syaoran's eyes widened. _Kinomoto!_

But he needn't have been worried for her. The card in Sakura's hand began to glow, a comforting smooth pink that bathed her in warmth—warmth that defiantly pierced through the darkness that had threatened to drown them. And as Syaoran watched, Sakura thrust the card into the sky and called, " _The Shield!"_

The card hovered as it heard its master's call, and as Sakura's wand connected with _The Shield_ , there was a blinding brightness that cast everything around them in white. The wings on the staff extended beneath the card, breaking the seal that kept the power within.

As summoned, Shield materialized in front of Sakura in all its glory, and then morphed into a clear dome that arched over their heads.

Sakura stood at the forefront protectively, waiting a moment to ensure Shield was fully in place before she hurried back to where Syaoran was collapsed, her hands worrying at his clothes, ultimately moving to rest on his shoulders.

"Syaoran! Syaoran, can you hear me? What's she doing to you?"

His lips moved, air whistling between his teeth as he struggled to remember what he wanted to say. He was fading now; the sights and sounds around him were growing fuzzier, and even the light of Shield was disappearing from his vision.

"Sakura," he whispered. One last breath, and then… darkness. "Run _._ "

-x-

When Syaoran came to again, he was met with a blinding agony that had him choking back a gasp of pain. There was an acute pounding in his skull that seemed to strengthen with every passing second. If he was already hurting so much lying immobile, he didn't want to think about the agony he'd be in if he tried to move his appendages.

What the hell had happened to him?

Syaoran sucked in a deep breath and mentally steeled himself to attempt movement. He grit his teeth and experimentally shifted his left arm, feeling a brief surge of relief when he realized it didn't hurt as badly as he had thought. Still, that minor attempt had zapped him of whatever little energy he had left, and he had just decided that maybe passing out was the preferable alternative when he heard the door open, followed by hurried footsteps that paused at his bedside.

"Syaoran? Are you awake?"

He peeked open an eye, wincing from the dim afternoon light that filtered in through the window.

"Yes, but I'm starting to think I'd rather not be." He shut the eye again and then opened both. Eriol was sitting in the chair next to the bed, looking uncharacteristically worried. Syaoran spared him a quick glance before shifting his attention to the rest of the room. It was an unfamiliar bedroom, spacious in its own right, with pale blue walls and huge windows.

He slowly turned back to look at Eriol. "Where am I?"

"My apartment. You gave us all quite a fright." He leaned forward. "How do you feel?"

"Like I had a fantastic party that was too fantastic even for me to handle." He let out a chuckle and then winced when it felt like his lungs had caught on fire. "Goddammit. Did I get run over by a train or something?"

Eriol's gray eyes dimmed with worry. "You don't remember what happened before you passed out?"

Syaoran groaned but closed his eyes and tried to recall. He remembered fretting over Kinomoto's blasted painting, remembered meeting her and then seeing Fei again. That certainly hadn't been pleasant… but wait, there had been more. Kinomoto had gotten angry at him, he had chased after her down the street, and then…

He shot upright. "Kinomoto!"

And regretted it almost immediately. His head felt like it was going to split apart. "What the hell is going on?" he managed through gritted teeth. "Did I get a concussion or something?" Syaoran took a few deep breaths to steady himself, and then said, "What about Kinomoto? Is she okay? There was some sort of weird aura and then she…"

He paused then, the words slowly registering in his mind even before he vocalized them. He vaguely remembered seeing her in his haze-induced mind, seeing that power eke from her as she threw herself selflessly in front of him in an attempt to save him from that onslaught.

He was confused, but one thing was fairly certain—there was more to Kinomoto Sakura than he had initially thought, and certainly more than she or Eriol had ever shared with him.

"She's the Card Mistress," he finally said.

Eriol looked momentarily shocked by his realization, but the shock quickly faded to concern. Syaoran was still struggling to put the pieces together, but he was already very aware that Eriol was keeping something from him.

He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. "Why didn't you tell me she was the Card Mistress?" he asked quietly. "And why don't I remember anything about her? I know I worked with her in the past, and I know my memory isn't that terrible yet."

Eriol opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again, seeming to have changed his mind at the last minute. "Look, it's not as straightforward as you might think. There are certain complications, and…"

"Try me," Syaoran suggested.

Eriol licked his lips. "There are reasons why you don't remember certain parts of your past. And why you don't necessarily remember Sakura." He paused and assessed Syaoran closely, as if he was concerned Syaoran was going to implode at any second. "I'm hesitant to say something because I'm afraid of potentially triggering a series of unstoppable events."

"I can tell. But whatever the series of events is, it's clearly already begun and I'm clearly involved. I would prefer to know what's coming at me as opposed to just being targeted for no reason."

Eriol ran a hand through his hair. "Trust me, I understand the logic. But things didn't end so well the first time, and I'm not sure this time is going to be any better."

"You knew this, and yet you still set me up with her?"

"I wanted to take a chance."

"Well you clearly took the chance, but you can't just stop halfway."

Eriol looked like he wanted to argue, but the door suddenly opened to admit Tomoyo, who was carrying a steaming cup of tea. Her smile brightened when she saw Syaoran awake, and in a flash she was at his side and perched on the edge of the bed, the tea now precariously hovering in front of his face.

"I'm so glad to see you're awake," she said brightly. Her warm eyes and infectious smile reflected the truth in her words, and Syaoran found himself accepting the tea with a small nod of thanks. "It's chamomile," she explained, when she saw him eyeing it. "Given the spill you took earlier, this should help soothe your body."

He scowled at her words. "You're making me sound like an invalid." Nonetheless, he obediently drank the tea and let out a deep sigh when he felt the warmth coursing through his body. It relieved some of the ache and pain.

Tomoyo took the cup back from him when he was finished and set it on the nightstand. "Not an invalid. Just an unfortunate victim." She looked at Eriol pointedly. "I don't think you should keep this from him anymore. At this point, secrecy isn't going to do anyone any good."

"There was an inkling of a connection between Syaoran and Sakura and look what's already happened." Eriol's eyes were dark when he looked at her. "How do you think she'll react if he remembers their past? Everything could be ruined."

"Oh please, it's not as if things haven't already gone to hell!" Tomoyo shouted. She surged off the bed, her dark hair practically crackling with her frustration. "Syaoran's bedridden and Sakura's so distraught she refuses to leave our dorm. We have to do something, Eriol. We can't just sit here."

"And what exactly do you suggest we do?"

"Tell Syaoran everything. They were always stronger together, remember? And now that we're all older, wiser, I'm sure there's a better chance."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, his brows furrowed. Syaoran couldn't remember the last time he had seen Eriol so frustrated and distressed. He was always so poised. "It's not as simple as willpower this time, Tomoyo. There's a magical balance at play."

She looked upset. "But-"

Syaoran held up a hand. "Daidouji, can you give us a moment?"

Her eyes were wide, almost desperate. "But Syaoran-"

"Please."

She must've seen something in his eyes because her protests died away. She looked at Eriol, who was determinedly staring at the painting on the wall, and blew out a resigned sigh before grabbing the mug and walking away.

Syaoran waited until he heard the click of the door before he spoke. "It's not like you to be so afraid, Hiiragizawa."

Eriol rolled his eyes. "I'm not afraid. I'm concerned. Trust you to not be able to differentiate the two."

"What is there to be concerned about? Nothing ever surprises you." Eriol didn't respond, but Syaoran read volumes in the glare thrown his way. He waited a beat before saying as casually as he could, "You're worried about me."

"Does that really surprise you?"

Syaoran shrugged. "Yes."

Eriol had been assessing the wall absently, brows furrowed in thought, but his eyes snapped to Syaoran when he heard his response. "Are you serious?"

"I hadn't meant it offensively. We don't exactly get along."

Very few people could fully grasp the oddity that was their relationship. Eriol wasn't someone Syaoran would choose to confide in, wasn't even someone he would choose to befriend as part of his day-to-day life. But he was someone Syaoran would trust with his life. And that, he figured, was more of a function of logic and understanding of the depth of Eriol's magical prowess as opposed to a desire to trust him as a person.

He had blocked out much of what had happened ten years ago when he had returned to Hong Kong; he hadn't been in a good place, but he did remember his mother offering Eriol the option of going to Hong Kong with him to help him through that period of time. Eriol hadn't really had a family or a place he could really call home, but he had declined regardless. And so as far as Syaoran was concerned, they didn't owe each other anything. He didn't hold it against Eriol for choosing not to be with him at what was probably the lowest point in his life, but it also taught him not to rely on anyone but himself.

"I wouldn't be insulted if you left me to fend for myself," Syaoran continued, when it was apparent Eriol wasn't ready to say anything. "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't keep anything from me."

His eyes were remote, seeing something just past Syaoran, something that didn't seem to be there. There was clear indecision in his eyes, an internal war that raged between acquiescing to Syaoran's request and doing what he clearly thought was right.

As much as Syaoran tried to wait out the results of Eriol's internal battle, patience had never been his virtue. He sighed and crossed his arms. "How about I help you along? I can feel there's a magical imbalance. At first it was just an inkling, but this imbalance is growing stronger by day."

Anyone who practiced magic could feel that balance in the world. Positive and negative energies counteracted to keep that balance flowing. Once disrupted, there would be a price to pay, but Syaoran had a feeling this was only just the beginning. He had first started sensing the distortions the moment he had felt that spark with Sakura. He'd been a fool for passing it off as an accident.

Eriol leaned back in his seat. He was fiddling with the cuff of his white oxford shirt, but he spoke without looking at Syaoran. "We had tried to solve this imbalance ten years ago. It's why your memory of that time in your life is practically nonexistent. It's also why I don't want to tell you about it now."

"Whatever the problem is, I'm sure I could help." He smirked. "I'm not the head of the clan for nothing, Hiiragizawa."

"You tried to help years ago." Eriol's voice was rough and soft, his eyes blazing behind his glasses. "It's proving to not have worked."

A dull throb had started in Syaoran's head again, but he did his best to ignore it. "I was ten. I'd like to think I'm a more capable sorcerer now."

"It's not about your ability as a sorcerer. It's about the sacrifice you had made. If that hadn't been enough, nothing is going to be enough to stop it this time."

Syaoran smiled at the graveness in his tone. "I wish you wouldn't beat around the bush like this. I'm not a child. If this is going to impact me as well then I have a right to know." Eriol's gaze was heavy and mixed with a degree of trepidation and… pity? Or was that sympathy? But whichever it was, he didn't like either emotion, and so he said with no small degree of impatience, "I'm just going to ask this once. Who was Kinomoto to me?"

That earned a look of shock from Eriol. His gray eyes widened behind his glasses and he physically jerked back, as if Syaoran had hit him. Syaoran assessed him carefully, took note of his reaction, and knew that he had hit the issue straight on the head. This was the one question Eriol had been afraid of him asking, but now that it was out in the open, there was no reason to hide behind the obvious any longer.

Eriol face twisted with a look of resignation. "You two were… close. As a result, there was a pact you had been forced to make for her." He swallowed. "She…"

The door suddenly flew open. Syaoran looked up to see a very frightened Tomoyo framed in the doorway, phone in her hand. Her eyes were wide and terrified, her hand shaking as she raised her phone, as if holding it out as evidence for what she was about to say.

"It's Sakura. She's in trouble!"

Eriol was on his feet in a flash, but the first person to the door was Syaoran. And as he pushed past Tomoyo, he didn't pause to think about what he was doing. All he knew was that Sakura needed him, and he was going to go to her at any cost.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Well... it only took me a million years to update again. But at least this chapter is finally here! Thanks for still being here to read this. :) Would love to hear your thoughts, as always.


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